‘Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda is an environment where I feel comfortable on both a social and professional level’
One year after he won his first Grand Tour stage in the Vuelta a España and a month after he finished his debut Tour de France, Irish pro Dan Martin has extended his current deal with the Garmin-Sharp team .
The Irishman, who turned 26 yesterday, will now remain part of the UCI ProTeam until the end of 2014. The two year agreement this sees him remain with the tea he turns pro for in 2008.
“Slipstream Sports has been my home for five seasons and I'm happy to say I will ride in Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda colors for two more years,” he confirmed. “This team feels like family to me, and after the progression we have achieved together since I signed my first contract, it is the only team where I feel that I can continue to achieve my full potential as a bike rider.”
Martin gets on well with many of the other riders in the squad and said that this was a big factor in his decision. “Having fun has always been my ethos toward my job and passion, and Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda is an environment where I feel comfortable on both a social and professional level. It’s been an incredible few months for me with finishing my first Tour de France and competing in the Olympics, and re-signing with the team just adds to it. I am happy and proud to say I will be a Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda rider for the next two seasons.”
Martin has progressed year on year and is regarded by some as a possible future Tour de France contender. He was thirteenth in last year’s Vuelta, also winning a mountain stage, and went on to place second overall in Il Lombardia, the prestigious end of season Classic previously known as the Tour of Lombardy.
Prior to that, he won the Route du Sud in 2008 and the Tour de Pologne two years later.
This year’s Tour debut saw him weakened with a chest infection, but he recovered towards the end. He took three top ten finish finishes and placed a solid 35th. He has said he will target a top ten overall finish next year.
Slipstream Sports CEO and team manager Jonathan Vaughters has long believed Martin can develop into a very big rider and welcomed the extension today.
“Dan turned pro with our organization in 2008 because he shared our vision and our passion and because he believed we were the right fit to help him grow and develop as an athlete,” he said. “In his first year alone he won Route du Sud and became the Irish National Road Race Champion.
“He’s continued to show the world what we knew he could do, collecting three top-ten finishes for Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda in his recent Tour de France debut. Dan is a champion and we are thrilled that he will continue with us.”